1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to communication systems, and more particularly, to methods and systems employing a distributed protocol over a wireless connection.
2. Background
In conventional wireless communications, an access network is generally employed to connect one or more access terminals to a packet-based network, such as the Internet. The access network is typically implemented with multiple access points dispersed throughout a geographic region. The geographic region is generally subdivided into smaller regions known as cells with an access point in each cell. The access point generally includes a transceiver function that supports wireless connections with the access terminals in its cell. A network function may be used to interface the access point to the packet-based network. Alternatively, the network function may be integrated into the access points.
A common protocol used for transporting physical frames over a wireless connection is Radio Link Protocol (RLP). RLP is a Negative Acknowledgement (NAK) based protocol designed to lower the errors caused by disturbances in the wireless medium to a level acceptable for applications running over the Internet today. In current systems, the RLP operates between the network function and the access terminal. This design forces any wireless related optimizations, such as header or body compression to happen at the network function, rather than the edge of the access network, i.e., the transceiver function. This design also prevents the delivery of higher layer packets to the edge of the access network when the network function and transceiver function are not co-located, thereby increasing the NAK turnaround time due to backhaul delay to the network function. The inability to deliver higher layer packets to the edge of the access network may also result in stale data in various queues in the access point because higher layer packets that are dropped due to quality of service (QoS) may realistically only happen before the network function.